
15.11.2026 Pochard and Tufted Duck in Le Braye Sandpits today MD
A disturbed day with periods of heavy rain and a strong southwest wind.
Reports from a difficult day for birding! At La Rocque Point on this morning's high tide were 85 Ringed Plovers, 59 Grey Plovers, 293 Dunlin, 121 Sanderlings, 3 Snipe, 104 Turnstones and a Redshank, while at La Rocque were a Great Crested Grebe, 7 Brent Geese, 56 Turnstones, a Grey Plover, 3 Sandwich Terns, 3 Pied Wagtails, 5 Rock Pipits, a Black Redstart, 60 Linnets and a Grey Seal. A male Marsh Harrier was hunting fields behind La Rocque while behind the Seymour Inn were 42 Little Egrets and 5 Grey Herons.
Very few birds were venturing off from Noirmont this morning, with a short migration count seeing 415 Woodpigeons, 7 Stock Doves, 121 Starlings, 8 Redwings, 6 Meadow Pipits, and 2 Stonechats as well as local raptors - a Peregrine, a Marsh Harrier, a Sparrowhawk and a Buzzard.
On St Ouen's Pond were the Long-tailed Duck, 20 Pochard, 25 Shovelers, 130+ Teal, 17 Lapwings and a Water Pipit. In the Sandpits were 20 Pochard ( presumably the same birds from St Ouen's Pond), 53 Tufted Ducks, 10 Shovelers, 6 Little Grebes, a Grey Heron, and a procession of gulls visiting to bathe, which included a Mediterranean Gull, 6 Black-headed Gulls, a Lesser Black-backed Gull, 20 Great Black-backed Gulls and several Herring Gulls. 4 Dunlin were on the beach in St Ouen's Bay, also 82 Crows. As well as the 17 Lapwings, birds on the Scrape included 2 Stonechats, an alba Wagtail and a flock of 50 Starlings.
In Petit Port Bay were a Kingfisher, 22 Curlews, a Turnstone and 15 Great Black-backed Gulls. On the feeding patch north of Corbiere Lighthouse were over a hunded Gulls, notably 50+ Kittiwakes, 10 Mediterranean Gulls, 3 Common Gulls, 5 Black-headed Gulls, also 3 Gannets and 8 Razorbills.
In Vallee des Vaux were 3 Firecrests, 4 Goldcrests, 2 Blackcaps, 12 Redwings, 2 Song Thrushes and 2 Short-toed Treecreepers and seen flying over were 300 Stock Doves, and 6 Woodcock at Dusk this evening.
A late record for Friday, was a Short-eared Owl being harrassed by a Chough, at Sorel.
Below: Some of today's many
Teal, viewed from the Wetland Centre at St Ouen's Pond. Video courtesy of Jo Bramley.










